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"...Fanciful, brisk, and irreverent, The Secret Sign of the Lizard People is an eccentric satirical novel that thumbs its nose at the current world order."

—Foreword Clarion Reviews


"This book is an incredible romp of Hollywood proportions. It's ludicrous and laugh out loud funny. At its core The Secret Sign of the Lizard People is a buddy cop style story with plenty of to and fro between the two leading men – Jerry "Leafy" Green and Bill "Beefy" Goodness. They make a formidable team that work well and complement each other. They know how to get a job done, but they equally know how to press one another's buttons...The Secret Sign of the Lizard People has been one of my favourite reads this year to date, if not my absolute favourite. It's mysterious, it's well written without the endgame being obvious before Buckley reveals the true plot and it is genuinely funny at times. A well written crime novel littered with puns and groan aloud humour, I'd love to see more of Leafy and Beefy in the future. My rating: Good Read!"

—Steven Smith, Books and Beyond Reviews, http://booksandbeyondreviews.com


"The Secret Sign of the Lizard People blends satire, intrigue, and an investigative story with elements of sci-fi, making for a genre-crossing read that will especially delight those who enjoy mystery, comedy, and literary approaches to detective procedurals. When two homicide detectives investigate a model's murder, they didn't expect to uncover evidence of a justice-busting conspiracy that changes everything. But the plot they reveal is just one aspect to a story that focuses on the developing mystery and many questions that don't hold clear answers or resolution. ...With its blend of police procedural and social and political reflection, UFO ironies and encounters, clashes between visions and reality, and alien conferences that threaten to change the world, readers of The Secret Sign of the Lizard People should ideally be well versed in comedy devices, open to accepting a blend of detective story and alien invasion piece, and prepared to appreciate the ironic twists that tint everything from world views to the presence of death. Readers looking for a literary story of intrigue and invasion will find this blend the perfect choice for an engrossing story that holds no predictable resolution, but harbours the ability to attract and maintain reader interest up to its unexpected conclusion."

—D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review


"The Secret Sign of the Lizard People is like the X-Files with a heavy metal soundtrack shot gunning beers in the backseat of a muscle car and firing an AK out the window. It's fast-paced, generally irreverent ... and always hurtling full-throttle towards a finale that you'll never see coming. This is a book that will make you laugh, get you pumped up, and leave you consistently guessing about what the hell is going to happen next."

—Ben Thompson, author of 'Badass of the Week'


"Buckley’s zany, go-for-broke lampooning of police procedurals will have readers in stitches. It teems with goofy character names, such as Special Agent Justin Case and homicide detectives nicknamed "Beefy" and "Leafy"; Abbott and Costello–worthy verbal misunderstandings ("Hugo Fürst...with an umlaut." "You go first with an omelette?"); and outlandish plot twists (the title offers a clue)…

The mystery kicks off with the mainstay of L.A. noir: a corpse of a would-be starlet. As they work the case, Beefy and Leafy entertain themselves with elaborate patter, their routines equal parts vaudeville and postmodern dada with thinly veiled references to current events ("If POTUS and FLOTUS went riding in a Lotus, would SCOTUS even notice?"). Witticism aficionados and long-time fans of crime fiction will happily ride along with these crack-up cops as they spar, snicker, and incidentally solve a mystery.

Takeaway: This hilarious parody of L.A. noir will delight mystery fans who enjoy discursive comedy and poking fun at the genre they love.

Great for fans of Mel Gilden’s Zoot Marlowe series, John Swartzwelder’s Frank Burly novels."

Production grades

Cover: A

Design and typography: A

Illustrations: none

Editing: A-

Marketing copy: A

—Booklife Reviews


"The secret sign of the lizard is an eccentric novel about two detectives, Leafy and Beefy, who happen to come upon a homicide with an alien plot. The humorous novel then takes on the journey of how an aspiring model has been murdered.

The more they investigate the murder, the more in-depth the plot goes. The clues are given then lead both detectives into the worst of what California offers, and they soon realize that they are facing one of the greatest conspiracies in human history.

At first, I was expecting the narrative to send me into something seriously gruesome. Still, instead, it was so much fun watching Leafy and Beefy interact and disagree with almost everything. I believe what stood out in this story was the relationship/friendship the detectives had. They both represented a very authentic part of the story. Most of the dialogue and the natural flow of the work was because of that. The pace of the story was steady, and the story was thoroughly enjoyable.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes reading detective stories, murder mysteries, humorous books and alien stories."

— Review Tales by Jeyran Main


"Kevin E. Buckley's novel combines elements from Men in Black, The X-Files and myriad TV cop shows as two wise-cracking detectives try to solve a murder involving a Hollywood landmark, gangsters, celebrities and a Burning-Man-like festival in the desert. A young starlet is found nude and shot to death, sprawled across the Y in the "Hollywood" sign overlooking Los Angeles. Long-time partners, Jerry "Leafy" Green and Bill "Beefy" Goodness are assigned to the case. But just possibly, the starlet's murder was an accident, and the bullet was intended for another victim... Buckley has his detectives encountering conspiracy theories; the activity of drug lords, LA gangs and law-breaking police officers; and even an alien invasion... The final chapter is appropriately titled "Deus Ex Machina" when a new hero shows up completely out of the blue to save the day... In all, readers of [this inaugural novel] should agree that it's a promising start."

—Blueink Review


"Not every foul thing that transpires in LA can be blamed on the Santa Ana winds. Something beyond the usual 'California crazy' is afoot, and Beefy and Leafy need to figure it out before it's too late . . . Amid all the investigative work, the main players find plenty of time for chitchat. Whether they are trying to figure out the latest scandal on the 'C&N' news channel or wrap their heads around the idea that in America you can beat up whomever you want 'as long as it's in the name of the Judeo-Christian-God or some other authorized deity or force,' . . . This tale takes a playful yet cynical look at detective work."

—Kirkus Reviews

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